Upper Deck Releases The Yankee Stadium Legacy Set

The Upper Deck Company, the industry leader when it comes to innovative trading cards and sports authentication practices, has just announced that it will be unveiling the largest baseball trading card set ever produced. “The Yankee Stadium Legacy” set, a 6,500-card compilation chronicling every single game ever played at the famous “House That Ruth Built,” will begin its official debut by being inserted in random packs of Upper Deck’s 2008 Series 1 Baseball, scheduled to hit store shelves on February 5.

With historic Yankee Stadium playing out its last regular season this year before the Bronx Bombers move to a new ballpark in 2009, Upper Deck decided it was a terrific opportunity to acknowledge the incredible history and moments that have occurred at Yankee Stadium since its doors opened in 1923. Besides chronicling 85 seasons’ worth of Yankees home
games, this comprehensive set will also include some of the most famous sporting events that have taken place at Yankee Stadium including: Lou Gehrig’s “Luckiest Man Alive” Speech (July 4, 1939); Babe Ruth’s “Final Visit to Yankee Stadium” (June 11, 1948); Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling heavyweight title bout (June 19, 1936, Schmeling won); and Muhammad
Ali’s title defense against Ken Norton (Sept. 28, 1976).

“Not only is this an incredibly ambitious effort by our Product Development and Creative teams, but it’s a well-deserved tribute to one of the sports world’s most celebrated venues, ” said Kerri Stockholm, Upper Deck’s director of Sports Marketing. “We’re delivering the cards as inserts in several different Upper Deck baseball products throughout 2008, giving collectors everywhere a chance to share in the historic tribute.”

Considered a cultural memorial that pays well-deserved respect and recognition to the awe-inspiring accomplishments of legendary and current ballplayers that have had the opportunity to play on the hallowed grounds, the Yankee Stadium Legacy set is truly a collection for the record books. According to Upper Deck Baseball Brand Manager Jason Masherah, the Guinness World Book of Records is ready to recognize the effort as the “largest baseball trading card set ever produced,” but only after all of the 6,500 cards are released in Upper Deck’s various baseball card launches throughout the year. In addition to appearing in Upper Deck Series 1 Baseball, the Yankee Stadium Legacy cards will also be included in: Spectrum; Piece of History; SPx; Upper Deck Series Two; SP Legendary Cuts (Hobby-only); SP Authentic; UDx; and UD Masterpieces.

There will also be 42 different Yankee greats featured on game-used memorabilia cards (bats and jerseys) ranging from Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio to Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson and current Yankee Captain Derek Jeter. Upper Deck has also bought back several thousand previously released Yankee autographed and memorabilia cards from previous seasons to insert into the various releases as part of this promotion.

Depending upon how ambitious a collector is, there is the possibility of putting together the entire Yankee Stadium Legacy collection. But it will take patience and some luck to achieve.

Since there is so much publicity surrounding the closing of old Yankee Stadium after this season – including the fact that the 2008 MLB All-Star Game will take place in the Bronx on July 15 – Upper Deck has several promotions planned throughout the year and will reward lucky collectors with once-in-a-lifetime prizes including: a trip for two to this year’s All-Star Game; a trip for two to the last regular-season game in 2008 at Yankee Stadium; and a trip for two to the first 2009 regular-season game held at the new Yankee Stadium. Starting February 1, collectors can go to www.OwnTheLegacy.com
to find out more about the Yankee Stadium Legacy set and the various promotions that will surround the year-long launch. And by entering the alphanumeric codes found on the backs of Yankee Stadium Legacy cards at the new website, collectors will be able to manage their collections online, track the progress of other collectors via a dynamic leader board and automatically get entered into the sweepstakes promotions.

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